A riveting social commentary about adolescence, life, and survival filmed in a meaningful and powerful way. Raw yet poignant tales entwined with innovative filming techniques keep you spell bound as this film follow several story lines simultaneously.
Kudos to all the participants for capturing the angst and experimentation so often attributed to adolescence, that has developed a deeply moving narrative and fabulous film.
So wonderful to receive the breath of fresh air that comes from seeing a film that hasn't caved in to commercialism and Hollywood crap.
Well done to you all, would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to gain further insight into surviving adolescence in our complex and often confusing contemporary society.
Rites of Passage
2013
Drama

Rites of Passage
2013
Drama
Synopsis
A feature length drama made collaboratively with young people who dip below the surface of their often tough exteriors to reveal what is going on inside.
Uploaded By: FREEMAN
November 18, 2020 at 11:54 PM
Director
Cast
Tech specs
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Rites of Passage - moving through transitions of adolescence
Great, raw, gritty film with plenty of heart
Not many films are as honest and raw as this. Not many films would care enough for the underprivileged, unappreciated, ignored society we're too quick to label in Australia's poor suburbs. What this film does is question our roles as parents.
While the kids go through a series of self discoveries, though journeys they're not even aware they're on, we see their lives are heading for a place that is a bleak, hopeless and destructive. There's no guiding light for them here. Life is it's greatest teacher and the movie, to it's wonderful credit, doesn't do it in a sentimental way but in an intimate, truthful approach we see and feel them find out for themselves. It doesn't come without costs. Not everyone comes out of it unscathed.
The cast mostly comprises of real kids in similar situations and circumstances the movie presents and Director Phil Crawford does a terrific job in cutting the fat and passing no judgement on their actions-rather he presents it just as fact.
Kudos must go to everyone involved with this film. It experiments with shooting styles that on paper you may question but on this film it succeeds. A brave, fearless piece of film-making that deserves to be seen as a counterpoint to how most Australian films potray us to be.
Houso's shows us a kind of over the top satire of this community but if you want to dig deeper you couldn't ask for a better tour than this little gem. Great work.
A great movie - the real world of so many of our youth.
We were fortunate to be able to show this film to members of our organisation. These are people who work with and mentor young people - many of whom have had experiences like those in the film. It was hard-hitting and very moving. Anyone who works with young people - parent, mentor, grandparent, youth worker who wants to understand the worlds our young people live in, must see this film.
We see the challenges our young people face and their strength and resilience grow as they overcome them. What is particularly inspirational is that it was the young people themselves who made the film - they acted, filmed and told their stories from their perspective. You will laugh and you will cry - but most of all you will celebrate with them as overcome challenges, gain understanding and find they too have skills, knowledge and accomplishments and a place in the world.